Strikingly many celebrities suddenly die in China – but Covid is not mentioned McCarthy is elected – Dramatic scenes play out beforehand

A spate of sudden deaths among Chinese celebrities casts doubt on the true number of Covid-19 victims in China. The deceased include opera singer Chu Lanlan (39), director Wang Jingguang (54), actor Fu Zucheng (82) and his colleague Gong Jintang (83). They have all passed away in the past month.

No cause of death is mentioned in the obituaries of those who died suddenly. The family of soprano Chu Lanlan, who sang at Peking Opera, said they were “deeply saddened by their sudden passing”. In the case of Wang Jingguang, who is known in China for films such as “Never Look Back” and “Lawless”, the family gave no information about the cause of death, only stating that he was ill and had not asked for medical attention.

In December, Beijing eased previously extremely strict Covid-19 restrictions, leading to an increase in infections and overcrowded hospitals and crematoriums. At the same time, the Chinese leadership has drastically tightened the criteria for what counts as a Covid 19 death. Only 22 corona deaths have been officially registered since December, The Guardian reports. The official figures are therefore hardly realistic anymore.

The spate of deaths among prominent Chinese raises suspicions. Because celebrities from the cultural sector are not the only celebrities who have died since the turnaround in Chinese corona policy: sixteen scientists from well-known universities and institutes are said to have died between December 21 and 26. The business newspaper “Financial Times” reported on several Chinese executives suffering the same fate. Only one scientist and one businessman cited Covid-19 as the cause.

All of these departing celebrities fuel speculation on Weibo, China’s largest social media outlet. Many users there suspect that the celebrities have died of Covid-19. The mistrust of ordinary Chinese is also increasing because their own deceased relatives and acquaintances are almost always given a cause of death other than Covid-19 in the official death certificates.

Of course, other diseases can also lead to death, one Weibo user admits. “But now they all die at the same time.” Hidden criticism – China’s internet censorship no longer allows – voiced several users on the obituary of Gong Jintang, who played the role of “Father Kang” in the popular series “In-Laws, Children-In-Law” for almost two years. decades. “Rest in Peace Father Kang,” one user wrote. “This wave has already killed so many elderly people, we need to make sure we protect the elderly in our families.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently stated that the consequences of the corona epidemic, and in particular the number of deaths, are significantly more serious than the Chinese authorities portray. Experts fear that up to a million Chinese could fall victim to the virus this year. China’s population of about 1.4 billion people is relatively poorly vaccinated due to its longstanding zero-Covid policy; moreover, Chinese vaccines protect less than western ones and relatively few Chinese have received a booster. (i.e)